Matej Ferjan

Matej Ferjan
Born5 January 1977
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Died22 May 2011 (2011-05-23) (aged 34)
NationalitySlovenian
Career history
Poland
1998–1999Grudziądz
2000Zielona Góra
2001Częstochowa
2002Opole
2003–2004, 2006Ostrów
2005Krosno
2007–2008Gorzów
Great Britain
1998, 2001, 2002Belle Vue Aces
1999, 2004, 2005Poole Pirates
2000Ipswich Witches
2001Peterborough Panthers
2003Oxford Cheetahs
2011Newcastle Diamonds
Denmark
2001Slangerup
2007Holstebro
Individual honours
2000Continental Champion
1997, 1998, 1999
2000, 2001		Slovenian champion
2003, 2004, 2006
2007, 2008, 2009		Hungarian Champion
Team honours
2004Elite League Champion
2004Elite League Knockout Cup

Matej Ferjan (5 January 1977[1] – 22 May 2011) was a Slovenian motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 8 caps for the Slovenia national speedway team and 2 caps for the Hungary national speedway team.[2]

Career

Ferjan was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia.[3] He was a five-time Slovenian Individual Speedway Championship winner (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)[4] and a six-time Hungarian champion (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).

In 1998, he won a third place in Individual U-21 World Championship. The same year he made his British leagues deeut with Belle Vue Aces.[5]

On 9 July 2000 he won the Continental Final, which formed part of the 2001 Speedway Grand Prix Qualification.[6] He then secured a permanent ride in the 2001 and 2002 Speedway Grand Prixs.

In 2004, he was second in the Individual European Championship, the same year that the BSPA blocked his transfer to Newcastle Diamondss[7] He would however ride for Newcastle seven years later.

He was also the first non Polish rider to win the Polish Criterium of Aces, winning in 2007.

Death

On 22 May 2011 Ferjan was found dead in his van at the apartment block where he lived in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland. His cause of death has been attributed to a blood clot in his leg.[8][9]

Family

Ferjan had a son, Mark, born on 19 April 2004, and a daughter, Victoria.

See also

References

  1. ^ Świat Żużla, No 2 (75) / 2008, page 25, ISSN 1429-3285
  2. ^ "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  3. ^ Świat Żużla, No 1 (74) / 2008, pages 26-27, ISSN 1429-3285
  4. ^ "Individual Championship of Slovenia". Speedway Fansite. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Matty still want to be an Ace". Manchester Evening News. 14 January 1999. Retrieved 3 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Individual Championship". Speedway.org. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  7. ^ "Speedway: Diamonds late reshuffle". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  8. ^ "Verdict on Diamonds ace Matej Ferjan's death". ChronicleLive. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
  9. ^ Wadley, Ian (22 May 2011). "Pirates: Ford's shock over Ferjan". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 2015-11-10.